Decision at Doona

“I suspect your deep maroon is a fortuitous choice for Alreldep, Admiral,” Ken murmured under his breath.

Sumitral raised his eyebrows slightly and opened his mouth to speak.

“Dad,” Todd's stage whisper was audible to the Common, “Hrrula says I've got to do the talking to Hrruna.” Todd hurried forward, glancing apprehensively up at Sumitral, flinching at the admirals expression. “You can't sit either. He'll be thirsty. He isn't used to walking so far,” he added as an afterthought, and then asked Hrruna if the gracious noble sir would like some refreshment.

Ken fumbled in the kitchen cabinets, came across a glass goblet that Mace McKee had blown as an experiment that winter. He put it on the nearest tray, added a pack of coffee, some chilled urfa milk and ice water in a pitcher. Hrruna smiled his gratitude and murmured a question to Todd, who was curiously at ease with Hrruna despite his formality.

“This is the cold milk of the urfa beast of Rrala, gracious noble sir,” Todd said clearly and Ken suddenly realized that the boy was using the same unusual pitches that Hrruna had employed. “This is very cold water and this is a drink from our home world which is hot but everyone drinks it often. I'm too young.”

At that moment there was the sound of heavy boots thudding up the porch steps. Ken caught sight of half a dozen Hrrubans filing quickly into the mess hall with the unmistakable dispatch of trained soldiers.

Hrruna looked up calmly, nodded and gestured them to keep their distance before he smiled with great affection on Todd.

Todd's eyes were wide and he gulped before he spoke. “I think Mr. McKee made the cup. He's very clever.”

“McKee's sapphire,” Ken whispered, his voice carrying to Shih and Sumitral “I've a feeling a gift of value is indicated.”

“Can we leave here, though?” Shih asked and then inhaled sharply.

Ken turned to see Todd raise the goblet of urfa milk to his own lips. He then carefully wiped the lip mark from the goblet edge, rotating it before he presented it with a respectful bow to the First Speaker. When the man accepted it, Ken and Shih both let their breaths out with relief.

“Who in hell taught the kid all that protocol?” Sumitral's muted voice reached Ken's ears.

Ken rolled his eyes toward Hrrestan and Hrrula. They both wore expressions of intense interest and deep amusement.

“The urfa milk is very refreshing. A new taste for an old mouth,” Hrruna remarked, smiling benignly around. “There is much of value on this beautiful planet, is there not?”

“Most gracious First Speaker,” Ken began, trying to remember the pitches which Todd had used, “may I be permitted to withdraw? There is another example of Rralan riches which you might like to examine.”

Hrruna graciously dismissed him and, with a second nod, indicated Hrrula might join him.

Ken could barely wait to get the Hrruban out of earshot but he had to wait until they had passed the obvious bodyguards poised unmoving around the hall, before he felt it safe to speak.

“What has been happening?” he asked in Hrruban.

“Too much,” Hrrula answered in easy Terran, “but do you mean to get the big blue stone of Mace? Blue is very prized on Hrruba.”

Ken looked around for Chaminade, somewhat bewildered to find that the Common was also crowded with Hrrubans soldiers.

“Where'd they all come from?”

Hrrula hissed out his chuckle. "Something like this has never happened. I cautioned you against violence. No, I understand it was impossible to avoid it with a man like Landreau, but the instant it was reported to the Speakers, all hope of an alliance was lost. Then the messenger arrived, saying you had called out in Hrruban that we were in honor bound to help you. Zodd started to cry that he wanted to go home. Hrruna remarked quietly that this was no longer a time to hide cowardly: honor was at stake. He took Zodd by the hand and left – with all the Speakers staring after him. He had himself transmitted back to the village before anyone knew what he was about to do." Hrrula wheezed in another paroxysm of laughter. ''Hrrestan and I leaped after him. vowing to protect him with our lives, the bodyguard was right behind us but got lost in the forest and all this is being seen throughout Hrruba right now."

Ken spied Chaminade as Hrrula talked, and beckoned him over, deriving a small satisfaction as the fat figure waddled obediently to his summons.

“Remember that sapphire someone snitched from McKee? I want it now, Chaminade, for the Hrruban leader.”

The little eyes narrowed speculatively. “It does belong to the Hrrubans, I guess,” the Codep man agreed and snapped an order to his wrist unit. “Those bare-chested catmen are armed, Reeve,” he remarked, looking Hrrula directly in the eye.

“We are protecting our First Speaker from you barbarians,” Hrrula replied in his fluent but oddly accented Terran.

Suddenly Ken realized that Hrrula accented the wrong Terran syllables at times and retained his own pitched inflections. If you missed his first words you missed most of the sentence.

“Let me explain quickly, Rrev. Zodd must remain by Hrruna. No talk of treaty or anything, for this is a social visit,” and Hrrula wheezed briefly. “Zodd has been trained in the protocol of formal Hrruban and, since every circuit on Hrruba is turned onto this scene, our people must receive the best possible impression of yours. It can still reverse opinion in our favor!”

"But a kid – " Chaminade protested.

«Already that Sumitral has made several errors – understandable, because no one in our village used the formal tones, but few on our planet will make that allowance. They will only see discourtesy toward our First Speaker. I agree it is wonderful that Sumitral tries to speak Hrruban but he does not speak well enough yet.»

“From the mouths of babes,” Chaminade sighed.

Unexpectedly Hrrula gri

Ken called Bill Moody over and gave him the message just as the guard brought the jewel which Chaminade immediately passed to Ken.

“Be sure to give the jewel to Zodd,” Hrrula whispered as they re-entered the hall.

“Sumitral is going to hate talking through Todd.”

“Is not expediency a diplomatic thorn on Terra?” inquired Hrrula mockingly.

Ken awarded him a long look before he followed his example and bowed low as they re-approached the First Speaker. Sumitral was evidently relieved by their reappearance.

“Todd,” Ken began in low-voiced Hrruban, “would you present this properly to the gracious noble First Speaker? Say it is a poor example of what else is to be found on Rrala.”

Todd gri

“Oh, noble sir, my father asks that you accept what is humbly offered.”

With an exclamation of unfeigned delight, Hrruna held the sapphire up so that the sunlight caught in the facets which Mace had skillfully cut into the huge blue stone. It was not of a perfect water, having a tiny flaw which cutting did not entirely excise, but it was a brilliant color.

“This is much prized by us. Old eyes hunger for blues,” Hrruna said to the beaming child. “Truly Rrala has many hidden riches.”